Skip to content

I'm A Celebrity: Police issue 'advice' over bug use

PA Media Ant and DecPA Media
The show has defended its use of "non-invasive" species

Police have given "suitable advice" to the producers of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! following complaints about the use of non-native bugs.

The TV series is taking place in north Wales instead of the Australian jungle due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Welsh naturalist and BBC Springwatch presenter Iolo Williams has questioned whether a licence was gained to release bugs into the wild.

The show has defended the use of animals in its trials.

A range of insects have been used on celebrities such as athlete Sir Mo Farah, TV presenter Vernon Kay and journalist Victoria Derbyshire during this year's trials.

Mr Williams initially raised questions over the programme's use of the creatures last week when he tweeted: "As well as the moral issue of using wild animals for entertainment, surely there are huge ecological issues here also."

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

A spokesman for the show said all the insects used were "non-invasive species" which are only ever released in a "contained area and collected immediately after filming".

He said: "The bugs are UK bred and are commercially purchased in the UK for birds and exotic animal feed for pets and zoo keepers in normal circumstances."

The spokesman added the insects were donated to local wildlife sanctuaries, trusts and zoos for feed after filming.

To release a non-native species into the wild, a licence is needed from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

How do you pronounce I'm A Celeb's Gwrych Castle?

NRW's chief executive Clare Pillman earlier said it had not received any licence applications from ITV "in relation to releasing non-natives as part of their production of I'm a Celebrity".

A North Wales Police statement said: "North Wales Police and Natural Resources Wales have received information regarding the potential release of non-native species into 'non studio' areas, and we have given suitable advice to the production team regarding their set management and biosecurity."

Earlier this month ITV defended using animals in the trials after concerns raised by the RSPCA over welfare.

Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford has said it would be "right" for police to investigate "if there have been some infringement" of the rules.

He told BBC Breakfast the Welsh Government had "worked carefully" with the production company to make sure that all the rules were being observed and they "would be concerned about non-native species being released".